PROVIDENCE — The two-story Victorian house on the design board looks spare and simple, and it is. It’s designed to be easily replicated and produced by developers all over Providence.

Yet, as Mayor David N. Cicilline explained, in some ways it’s among the most modern buildings around — because it is built “green,”using environmentally friendly, low-cost, sustainable building procedures and materials.

This house, designed by Providence architect Christine West, may become a familiar sight in the city in years to come. West’s design, and a second designed by Robert Swinburne, of Brattleboro, Vt., are the winners of the city’s first Sustainable Housing Design competition, a contest held to encourage the construction of green homes in Providence.

Housing developers would now be encouraged — and given incentives — to use the winning designs and the others submitted to the contest. Each winner received $5,000. Every time a developer uses their design, the designer will receive a $500 royalty.

“This is a personal goal of mine, to increase the mainstream usage of green architecture,” said West, who works with Kite Architects in Providence.

Her design uses cellulose insulation made from recycled newspapers, natural ventilation instead of air conditioning and low-flow water fixtures to reduce consumption, among other green touches. It features a two-story entry tower, intended to improve air circulation and to “allow individual expression and an opportunity for exploration and learning, whether it is connecting to nature with star-gazing or plantings or a platform for wind-catching turbines.”

An incentive system should encourage developers to use the designs. The numerous nonprofit community development corporations that rely partially on city funding could get extra “points” in their funding formulas for using these designs.

For-profit developers would have usable designs readily available, thus saving on design costs, and know that the city would likely approve projects quickly that use the pre-screened designs.

The city could also put stipulations on certain land purchases, compelling developers to use green designs if, for instance, they plan to build on a lot bought from the Providence Redevelopment Agency, said city Planning Director Thomas E. Deller.

Cicilline announced the awards at the city’s third annual Celebration of Housing Breakfast yesterday. It’s a tough time for housing in Providence. The city has seen more than 1,500 foreclosures since the start of 2006. With that much housing on the market, there is little appetite for single-family home developments.

Some of those foreclosed homes have fallen into disrepair and will have to be knocked down — and these designs, intended to fit into Providence neighborhoods, might be worthy successors. Providence is lacking in green homes and city officials see this as a chance to increase the green housing stock.

The winners were chosen from 12 designs by eight architects. All 12 designs will be available to developers.

The city wanted the designs to adhere generally to the guidelines set by the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for Homes program, which awards its coveted certification to buildings constructed with environmentally friendly green practices and materials.

LEED is run by the U.S. Green Building Council, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit organization that promotes environmentally friendly building practices.

The homes also had to be affordable, defined as having a maximum selling price of $182,600 for a single-family home and $264,250 for a three-family home.

“As we work to increase the supply of affordable homes in our neighborhoods, we must also ensure that those homes are environmentally sustainable,” Cicilline said. “The winners of the Sustainable Housing Design Competition have put forth design proposals that demonstrate how green can also be affordable.”

The winners were selected by four judges, including Andrew Cortes, director of YouthBuild Providence and a member of the city’s Planning Commission.

West’s design just looked right for Providence, he said. “The aesthetic quality of this one really stood out. No matter where you put this house in Providence, it would blend in.”

The selling point of Swinburne’s design was its simplicity and the ease with which it could be modified and reproduced.

“He gave us a very basic design that can now be embellished with details to fit in anywhere,” he said.

At the breakfast, Cicilline gave housing-related awards to the West Elmwood Housing Development Corporation, for producing 107 units of affordable housing this year, and to Greater Elmwood Neighborhood Services and the Elmwood Foundation for their successful merger.

dbarbari@projo.com